The use of optical fibers in communications is growing at an unprecedented rate. Low loss optical fibers which are produced by any one of several techniques may be assembled into ribbons which are then assembled into cables, or stranded into cables, or they may be enclosed singularly in a jacket and used in various ways in a central office, or to interconnect computer networks, for example.
In order to assure that the low loss optical fibers which are produced today are not diminished in their effectiveness in systems, the fibers must be connected through intermateable connectors which preserve those low losses. A connector which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,214 which issued on Jan. 6, 1987 in the names of T. C. Cannon, et al. is used to connect single optical fibers. In it, a cylindrically shaped plug terminates a single optical fiber and is adapted to be received in a coupling and adjacent to the plug of another such connector which terminates another single optical fiber.
As the optical fiber art has matured, efforts have been made to provide a connector which embodies enhanced features. The sought-after connective arrangement may include a plug which includes a connector body and which is to be received in a receptacle or in a coupling. The receptacle may be mounted in equipment whereas the coupling may be used to extend the length of a cable which is terminated by the connector body.
Thought must be given to the ease of making the connection between one connector and a device or between the one connector and another connector. In this regard, the sought-after connector must be user-friendly, that is, it must be capable of being easily used by a person having a minimum level of experience.
In order to be user-friendly, the connective arrangement should be such that the elements of the arrangement are assembled with relatively low force. For example, the force required to insert a connector body into a coupling which is to join the connector body to another or to a device should not exceed a value of about two pounds. Otherwise, the user may believe that the assembly positions are incorrect and may seek other avenues to make the connection.
Not only must the connector be capable of being connected easily to another connector or to a device, it also must be capable of being disconnected easily therefrom. In the prior art, disconnection in some instances requires a manual search for buttons, for example, that must be depressed to allow withdrawal. In others, it is not uncommon to find that a tool such as a screwdriver may be required to effect disconnection.
Typically, an optical fiber connector terminates an optical fiber or an optical fiber cable which includes a strength member system. Forces may be inadvertently applied to the cable or cables. Hence, it is desired that the sought-after connector provide a measure of strain relief for the connecting elements. Provisions should be made for transferring any forces applied to the cable through the strength member system to a housing of the connector to avoid stressing the optical fibers and interrupting the connection. Also, it is desirable to include provisions to cause disconnection when the cable is subjected to a tensile force of a predetermined magnitude.
Of course, from the standpoint of cost and ease of assembly, the sought-after connector should embrace a minimum number of parts. Further, those parts should be easily assembled.
Seemingly, the prior art does not include such a connective arrangement. What is sought and what is not seemingly available is a connector body which includes a minimum number of elements, which is easily connected to a receptacle or to a coupling with minimum force levels and which is easily disconnected therefrom. Further, the sought-after connector should be one which includes provisions for disconnection of portions thereof when the cable is subjected to a tensile force of predetermined magnitude.